Pink
It‘s More Than
Barbie’s Anthem Color.
Pink hasn’t always been a “girl’s” color. Earnshaw’s Infant, a trade magazine, published an article in the early 1900s that said pink was for boys because it was a “stronger” color as a derivative of red.
Blue, “the delicate color,” was then proclaimed to be for girls. Years later, the switch happened in the girl/boy color choice. The culture changed; pink became for girls and blue for boys.
When Barbie was launched by Mattel in 1959, pink was nowhere to be found. It wasn’t until the late 1970s that Barbie claimed pink for its packaging, Barbie’s furniture, and Barbie’s clothing.
And we all know what a hubbub occurred this summer when Barbie, the movie, premiered.
There was pink EVERYWHERE: décor, clothing, fashion accessories. That movie has caused such a stir (pun intended) that one European paint brand ran out of pink paint.
Pink has a long, vibrant history of being popular.
In the 1920s, pink was paired in Art Deco design with black, gold, and silver to create a very glamorous look.
The glamour continued in the 1930s and 1940s when pink was for the rich and famous, promoted by Hollywood.
Then MCM hit in the 1950s, and the pink bathroom, kitchen, and accessories came. Dusty rose sofas and vibrant workout clothes hit in the 1980s.
Over the last 10 years, pink has become in vogue again.
Pink is now for everybody.
